Showing posts with label Pakistani Taliban case. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistani Taliban case. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

"Characterizing a government as a pimp is far from advocating violence."

That was Irfan Khan's lawyer Sowmya Bharathi, challenging the strength of the evidence against her client who is accused of helping to finance part of the Pakistani Taliban terror group. Love the quote! Plus it gave me some inspiration for the morning:



More on the case from Curt Anderson's article:

The son of a Muslim cleric in South Florida was a key part of his father's alleged finance network for the Pakistani Taliban terror group and shared the older man's support for violent attacks, an FBI agent testified Tuesday.
Agent Michael Ferlazzo said at a bail hearing that 37-year-old Irfan Khan appears to advocate violence repeatedly on some of the more than 1,000 phone calls the FBI recorded between him and his father, brother and other alleged conspirators.

On one call, Ferlazzo said, Irfan Khan referred to Pakistan's government as “big pimps.”

“They're talking about violent opposition to the government,” Ferlazzo said. On another call, the agent said, Irfan Khan seemed pleased that people feared the Pakistani Taliban “because of how lethal they had become.”
***
But Irfan Khan's attorney, Sowmaya Bharathi, said most of his comments could be chalked up to passionate political talk about Pakistan's government and its troubles, not evidence of support for terrorism.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with people exchanging information about horrible events in a part of the world they have a connection to,” Bharathi said. “Characterizing a government as a pimp is far from advocating violence.”

She said nearly two dozen people, including members of Irfan Khan's cricket team, were willing to put up cash and property to secure his release on bail. She noted that he has a wife and two young children in Florida and would be able to get a job driving a taxi if released.

“He is going to stay here and fight the charges,” Bharathi said.
Jordan has not said when he will rule on bail for Izhar Khan, who is imam at a mosque in suburban Margate. Hafiz Khan is imam at Miami's oldest mosque.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Bail for 76-year old Imam? UPDATE -- nope

I was planning another rant (see here and here) this morning on the bail reform act and how DOJ's asks for detention way more than it should. But I have a small fire drill this morning on a case that I have to deal with...

John Pacenti and Jay Weaver have articles about the terrorism charges and the bond hearing this morning for Hafiz Muhammad Sher Ali Khan. Needless to say, I'm not sure why there couldn't be conditions of release set for Khan and his son that would ensure that he shows up for court and not engage in criminal activity. It's almost impossible to prepare for any trial, let alone a trial with classified material, while your client is detained (especially in the special housing unit).

I do like that I'll be able to say KHAN on the blog for the foreseeable future:



UPDATE -- Judge Garber denied bond for Khan and his son.

Monday, May 16, 2011

How do you like my new look?


The DBR has this article on how the courts are dealing with technology and privacy. I was quoted and here's the picture they used of me. How do you like my new look?

In other news:

1. Bill Barzee is starting a big trial in SDNY -- the offshoot of the Raj case. His client, Zvi Goffer, was known as Octopussy. Good luck to Bill and Zvi.

2. The Pakistani Taliban case will be arraigned today. I'm predicting pleas of not guilty.

3. Ellisa Martinez is pleading today. She's the woman who caused the school lockdown in Broward. She is before Judge Moore.